Facing fears
by obsi2
Summary: This is a little one shot after the shocking loss of our beloved Sharon. In my story she lives, so NO CHARACTER DEATH. Fluffy story, but I really needed to let it out just to survive the grief.


**All characters belong to James Duff and TNT. I'm just playing with them.**

 **Hi everybody. Long time no see, but life got in the way. Only this very tough fictional loss has awoken my muse again to write this little one shot in the hopes that Sharon still lives. To me she will always live. I hope you like it and enjoy. If not, please just stick to constructive criticism, the destructive one is useless. Now, to the story.**

She felt her body being gently lifted by Julio. Then, being laid down on the floor and the chest compressions he started applying.

"One, two, three, four, five..."

Amy, worried sick, was keeping her head straight, while Tao was at her feet. Someone, she assumed it was Andy, was holding her right hand with unusual strength.

"Come on, Sharon!"

This scene took a long while, although she couldn't say for how long because everything went into slow motion after the first rush of adrenaline. Then, the parademics made their entrance, asking questions and applying all the medical equipment they had. The room went silent when the health professionals put her onto a stretcher and wheeled her away... until they reached the entrance of the murder room.

"Stooop! Everybody, stop. Ok, that will be it for today. Good job, everyone, very good job. "Commander?"

Sharon stood up from the stretcher and replied:

"Yes?"

"I will send you the video of this drill tomorrow, so you can analyze it with your crew, but I would say it went very well."

"Me too." Meanwhile, the paramedics went away.

"You have a very capable group of people, Sharon."

"Yes I do. Thank you, Chief."

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Chief."

Sharon then went to the center of the murder room and said:

"Thank you everyone. You've done a great job..." Then, suddenly, she realized that Andy wasn't there. Talking to Proveza, she asked: "Lieutenant, where is Andy?"

"I'm not sure Commander, but he's probably in the restroom."

"Excuse me." She left the Murder Room and went to meet Andy. Carefully, she knocked softly on the door and opened it, not knowing if he was there or someone else was inside.

"Hello?" She entered and immediately saw Andy in front of a sink, bawling.

"Oh my God, Andy! Come here." She hugged him with all the strength she could manage. "It's ok, just let it all out. It's ok, I'm here." She caressed his head lovingly while he was crying with all his might.

When his cries subsided, she undid the embrace and looked him in the eye. His eyes were red and he looked miserable, but calmer. She wiped the tears from his cheeks.

With her soft voice, she asked: "Do you feel better, honey?"

"Yes, I am calmer now, thank you Sharon. I'm sorry I caused you all this trouble." He kissed one of her hands.

"You don't need to apologise, Andy. You caused me no trouble, but I'd like to know what made you so desperate. " She tried to hide her worry, but Andy sensed it and felt even worse.

"It's just... I saw you on the floor, unconscious, not responding to Julio's treatment and suddenly I felt that I've lost you. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, life had lost all meaning without you by my side. I couldn't stand it so I had to come in here and center myself before going back to the Murder Room."

"Oh, Andy, I'm so sorry you felt that way. I didn't realise that the drill would feel so real for you. When the Chief told me to play the victim, it didn't seem such a bad idea, but I promise I will never do that again." She put his hand on her heart and asked:

"Do you feel that?" Andy nodded. "That's my heartbeat. It is strong and steady. I am here and I'm not going anywhere, my love. I'm sorry that I made you suffer."

Suddenly her eyes started spilling tears she didn't know she had and Andy returned the embrace she had given him before.

"No, honey please, don't cry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad, I just let my feelings get out of control." He let her cry for a couple of minutes and when they broke the hug, he kissed her tenderly in her lips. What was meant to be a tender kiss turned into a more heated one that they had to cut off because that wasn't the place to get intimate and the squad was waiting for them in the Murder Room. Before they left the restroom though, Sharon stopped Andy and asked him:

"Andy, nothing's going to happen to me, but if it ever did, I want you to go on. I don't want you to lose all hope. You deserve to live a long life. Please, promise me that you will go on, even if it's without me. You are stronger than you think, believe me."

"Sharon, I can't think about that right now."

"No Andy, please, you have to promise me. You will live even if it's without me. Promise me. Otherwise, I'll live afraid forever. Look at me and tell me that you'll overcome the grief and will live on."

Andy looked down. After a few long seconds and with a broken voice, he replied:

"I promise. But I don't want to think about it, ever again. So we won't ever talk again about this. Deal?"

Sharon smiled and said: "Deal. We are here, we are strong and we are together, that's all that matters. Let's go with the squad, I'm sure they're wondering what's taking us so long."

Hand on hand, they entered the Murder Room and found every member of Major Crimes looking curious. As always, Provenza didn't bite his tongue:

"Well, what the hell took you son long? We were wondering if you'd be gone for the d..." Before ending his statement, he noticed their red eyes and realised that their conversation had been intense, so he went silent.

"Lieutenant, we needed our time to sort some things out, but we are here now. I wanted to go on with my words before I left to meet Andy."

Everybody in the room looked at her expectantly, including Andy and she started talking.

"Once again, you've showed how professional you all are. I am very proud of all of you. Julio."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You did an amazing job there. You are completely dedicated to this job and protect the innocent and your partners without hesitation. We are surely in very good hands with you."

"Thank you very much, I appreciate it."

"Amy, Mike, you showed your strength and compassion in a very difficult situation. Keep up the good work and never lose those assets, they are essential to our job."

Both replied proudly in unison: "Yes ma'am."

"Wes and Camy. You are new to this team, but your enthusiasm and fresh vision has made this squad richer and stronger."

"Thank you, ma'am." "Thank you, Commander."

"Buzz, your technical side, combined with your willingness and your effort make you irreplaceable for us. Don't let the ugly side of this job change you a bit."

"I won't, ma'am. Thank you so much."

Looking at Provenza, Sharon continued. "Lieutenant, you know our beginning was tough. We didn't agree in anything and you felt you had been robbed of your promotion. But time synchronized us to the point that you helped me raise Rusty and have become like a father to him. You are the heart of Major Crimes." Sharon became emotional and so did Provenza, but they dismissed it with a faint cough and looking to the floor. Finally, Provenza found his voice.

"Commander. We are two stubborn cops. We have been in the force for so long that we could teach each one of these individuals some lessons." That earned a laugh from everybody in the room. "It's true, I felt that you stole my rightful place, but time has taught me that you were the only one in the entire LAPD to really deserve being chief of the most elite squad of detectives. I don't know how you managed it, but I'm in awe of you, of everything you've accomplished in your career and all the problems you've had to face. Commander, we couldn't have a better boss and I'll never hesitate to call you my friend. Besides, no one with some sense in them could stand this guy –looking at Flynn– for more than a few minutes, so I guess you have to be as crazy as I am." The entire squad started laughing out loud.

"Thank you Lieutenant. And now, to MY Lieutenant. The one that has helped me overcome my fears. That has reminded me how it is to love and to be loved. That has put down my walls and has decided to share his life with me. I'm so grateful to have you, Andy..." She had to stop because her emotions were overwhelming. A tear ran down her cheek and Andy took that pause to intervene.

"You know what, Sharon? You have become the center of my life. Your kindness, strength, intelligence and love are the most precious thing I have ever known and I want to cherish you forever. I love you with all my heart. Thank you for being my partner, for teaching me something new every day and for loving me."

They hugged each other and the rest of the team stayed there, watching them, until Provenza said:

"Oh, come one, you two get a room. We have work to do here!"

Everybody laughed so hard at that comment that Sharon finally woke up from the dreamy state she was in and said:

"You are right, Lieutenant, we have a murder to solve. What did you find out before the drill?"

THE END.


End file.
